


What Makes Us Strong

by enjucityblues



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Feel-good, Hurt/Comfort, Other, Personal Growth, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 08:48:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20793914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enjucityblues/pseuds/enjucityblues
Summary: Hi, guys! Sorry it's taking me so long to upload fics lately! Life has been insane and I have way too many WIPS and far too little time to write them.Anyway, this is just a little oneshot idea I had after re-watching Furuba.Enjoy!





	What Makes Us Strong

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! Sorry it's taking me so long to upload fics lately! Life has been insane and I have way too many WIPS and far too little time to write them. 
> 
> Anyway, this is just a little oneshot idea I had after re-watching Furuba. 
> 
> Enjoy!

"Will this rain ever stop?" Cass moaned as she raised her hand, palm up, outward to test the strength and frequency of the droplets hammering down.  
  
They were fat and frigid and fast. She sighed and withdrew her hand, placing it in her warm pocket just as her fingertips began to feel the bite of the cold.  
  
She and Rapunzel were standing beneath a low cement archway that, on top, served as a bike path. Below, it was an overhanging that covered an intersecting pair of sidewalks. And, at the moment, it was their shelter from the storm.  
  
"Earlier on the weather report, it said it's supposed to clear up by this afternoon," Rapunzel replied mildly, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her heels. Cass smiled softly. The girl's positivity was downright infectious. "Which is great," the small brunette continued, "Because I have a ton of laundry I want to get done." She glanced at Cass. "I bet your garden is getting plenty to drink right now. Maybe we can check it later."  
  
Cass mulled this over in her mind, wondering which plants would be ready to pick. "I think it's safe to chance the strawberries."  
  
Rapunzel's face lit up. "You didn't tell me you planted strawberries! I love strawberries!"  
  
Cass laughed. "Yeah, well, I knew you would. That's why I planted them."  
  
Rapunzel's resulting grin was pure sunshine, almost enough to block out the rain.  
  
  
"Well, as long as the weather starts getting nicer by Golden Week, I guess I can't complain," Cass said.  
  
"Agreed," Rapunzel mused.  
  
"Oh! But before that, we have our exams," Cass remembered, flinching a little when she looked at Rapunzel and saw her sulking. She chuckled. "Why the long face? I'm sure you'll do fine."  
  
"I hope so," Rapunzel replied, biting her lip. She wasn't dumb by any means, but standardized tests freaked her out. The entire anxiety-inducing atmosphere caused her to panic and forget what she'd studied much of the time, resulting in more than a few makeup tests.  
  
"I know so," Cass said firmly, putting a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder and squeezing it. "Trust me, Raps... you'll do fine."  
  
Feeling a little better, Rapunzel nodded and offered her a small smile before looking out over the street. She squinted as a murky figure in the distance caught her eye. She thought she recognized the person, but before she could really fixate on them, they turned a corner and disappeared.  
  
"Huh," she muttered.  
  
"What's up?" Cass asked, following her gaze but seeing nothing. Rapunzel shook her head. "I thought I saw...nevermind. So, Golden Week huh? Well, before that and exams, we have the student council elections. I hear the president wants you to replace him--oh. Cass? You okay?"  
  
Cassandra was hanging her head, a dark aura of doom and gloom surrounding her.  
  
Rapunzel laughed nervously. "You don't want to be student council president, do you?"  
  
Cass shrugged and looked away, her eyes focusing on the bench across the street without really seeing it. "It's not that... I'd _like_ to run, but I feel like everyone has these high expectations of me. I'm not sure why they all believe I'm so perfect for the job, since the real me is..."  
  
She trailed off and went silent.  
  
Rapunzel cocked her head to the side and leaned around her, trying to get a look at her face. "Cass?"  
  
Cass's face smoothed over abruptly, hiding whatever emotion she had been fighting previously so Rapunzel wouldn't worry. "It's nothing. I think the rain is starting to clear up a bit. We should--"  
  
"Hector? Is that you?!" Rapunzel exclaimed, running out into the road with a handkerchief so she could dab at the man's soaked face. Cass followed her, looking worried. Hector was an old soldier buddy of her father's, and a family friend to them both. Both girls loved him like an unofficial uncle.  
  
"What are you two doing out in the rain?" Hector quipped, looking them both up and down. He gently pushed Rapunzel away. "I'm fine, sweetie." Rapunzel stopped dabbing at his face but continued to look concerned, opting to shelter them all with her umbrella instead.  
  
"I could ask you the same question," Cass replied, hands flying to her jutted hips. It was then that both of them noticed he was holding a small bundle of blankets.  
  
Hector hesitated before lifting a flap to reveal a small, black wolf pup with half lidded, exhausted blue eyes.  
  
Rapunzel's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh, what a cute puppy!"  
  
_Saw that coming,_ Cass thought.  
  
Rapunzel was no stranger to the fact that many weird things happened to Cass and the people around her, and this fell into that category. Cass herself was a vampress, Hector was a warlock, and this puppy was clearly no ordinary wolf...  
  
"Actually, Miss Rapunzel, his name is Varian," Hector explained. "He's a werewolf."  
  
This only served to bolster her excitement.  
  
Rapunzel, unlike the rest of the world, was privy to this secret otherworld of creatures due to a particular set of circumstances, and thus immensely enjoyed learning more about them.  
  
"Aww! Nice to meet you Varian!" she greeted, sticking her hand out for him to sniff.  
  
Varian, for his part, had been somewhat sleepy before, but due to both the conversation and emerging sunlight from the clouds he was now fully awake and glaring.  
  
"Be careful, Raps, he-"  
  
"Miss, I wouldn't do that, he has very sharp-"  
  
**CHOMP!**  
  
There was a brief pause in which Rapunzel went a bit pale. "It doesn't hurt," she lied, trying to put Cass and Hector at ease. Varian continued to sink his teeth into her fingers, the hackles on his ruff sticking out on end. Right now, he resembled a porcupine more than a wolf. Rapunzel wondered what had put him so on edge. He must have been young to look so small. She was curious about what kind of person he was beneath the fur.  
  
"Let. Go," Hector commanded. Varian shifted his gaze to him, glowering defiantly, but after a moment of staring at each other, he finally released Rapunzel's hand.  
  
Hector re-covered him. "We should get home. Come on."  
  
"Oh, you're coming home with us?" Rapunzel inquired. She was staying with Cass and her father while her parents were overseas, and over time Cass's home and family had become her own.  
  
Hector nodded as Cass moved in to check Rapunzel's hand, quickly bandading it with a small first aid kit she had in her backpack.  
  
"Thanks, Cass."  
  
"I'll do it better when we get home."  
  
"That's right," Hector replied. "I need to speak with the Captain about some things." He didn't elaborate on what those things were, and they didn't ask. And, other than Varian periodically struggling to break free of Hector's grip, the rest of the trip home was uneventful.  
  
After ditching their school bags and changing out of their uniforms, Cass and Raps were joined at the table by Hector and Cassandra's father, who everyone either called Cap or the Captain.  
  
Varian, still in wolf form, sat sulking in the corner.  
  
"Varian, huh? I haven't seen him in a while," Cap said, stroking his mustache. "I'm confused, though. It isn't a full moon and the pack isn't in a state of emergency. Why would he transform? Is it because he's so young, or--?"  
  
"Werewolves also transform sometimes when they're sick or under stress," Hector informed.  
  
"Ah. Right," Cap said. "You don't look sick," he said, looking Varian over. "What's troubling you, lad?"  
  
As they talked, Cass was replacing her haphazard band-aid job from earlier with ointment and real bandages. "Thanks," Rapunzel murmured.  
  
"It doesn't matter what's bothering him, he can't just go around biting people," Cass said. "Apologize, Varian." Varian ignored her.  
  
"He bit her?" Cap asked. "Wait, does this mean she'll become a werewolf now?"  
  
Hector shook his head. "Werewolves only infect people on the full moon," he informed him. "And you're wasting your breath, Cassandra. Even if the kid wanted to apologize, he can't speak."  
  
Rapunzel was relieved that she wouldn't be turned, which was something she hadn't even thought of until Cap brought it up, but now her attention shifted to worrying about the scruffy black mass on the other side of the room.  
  
"He can't speak?" she repeated, dumbfounded. "Why?"  
  
Hector sighed. "Well, according to the family doctor, the problem is all in his head. Psychological, you know? Some recent trauma caused him to quit speaking."  
  
Rapunzel frowned. "But what happened?"  
  
Hector was silent for a long time.  
  
From the corner, Varian's pointed ears perked, listening intently.  
  
Finally, Hector murmured, "Bullies."  
  
Rapunzel and Cass both wore mirroring expressions of blended shock and concern, and Cap looked a mixture of angry and sad, but before any of them could say anything, Varian had risen from his corner and rushed straight at Hector, sinking his teeth into the man's arm.  
  
"That. HURTS," Hector growled.  
  
Varian didn't budge.  
  
"What?" Hector demanded. "Are you pissed at me for saying something about it? It's not like you were going to. Did you even give any thought to how worried we've all been about you after you ran away? Me, Adira, your father? Did you know he's still out there looking for you as we speak?"  
  
Varian closed his eyes, as if Hector's words were acid in them, and let go of his arm, fleeing outside.  
  
Rapunzel stood rapidly, panicking. "Hector, you're bleeding! And we have to find Varian! And-"  
  
Cap shook his head. "Relax, child," he said as Hector took the bandages and began wrapping his forearm. "He can't have gone far."  
  
"You know, you could stand to be a little concerned," Hector snapped.  
  
"Whoa, you're not going all dark magic on me, are you?" Cap asked.  
  
"No, it just hurts is all and I'm annoyed," Hector replied. "There's just no getting through to that kid."  
  
Rapunzel's eyes saddened, and she exchanged a look with Cass. Cass sighed and looked away. She felt for the kid. As a child, she'd been damn near tortured by her older cousin, and she still hadn't opened up to anyone about it. Instead, she'd hardened herself and tried to forget it. She knew not everyone could do that though.  
  
"What happened, exactly?" she asked Hector.  
  
He took a deep breath. "Well, Varian recently started his first year of middle school. But because of Quirin's job, they had to move, and that meant an entirely new environment with people he didn't know, which is already hard enough on a kid. Well, on top of that, he started getting bullied for the streaks in his hair, how thin he is, his eccentric interests, etc. You know kids. They'll come after you for anything."  
  
Rapunzel swallowed, a repressed memory floating to the surface. She pushed it down.  
  
"I guess it's a good thing he doesn't take after you," Cap interjected. "You used to chase your bullies around the schoolyard." Hector laughed. "I was better than Adira. She nearly beat the kids to death when they tried bullying her."  
  
Cass cleared her throat.  
  
"Right," Hector continued. "Well, apparently Varian tried to stick up for himself too. He said he couldn't help how his hair or frame looked, and tried to get the others to see that his hobbies were fun if they'd give them a chance.  
  
Well, once the kids saw that they couldn't get to him, they began to ignore him completely. It got so bad that whenever Varian would try to talk, they'd just laugh at him. So, eventually, he just stopped talking. After that, he stopped going to school and began running away from home. That's why I was out looking for him today."  
  
The room was silent for a moment.  
  
"You know, I've never had that happen to me personally," Cap said, his tone grave. "But when I picture being laughed at every time I try to speak, well... it's a very sad feeling."  
  
There was a sudden pattering noise, followed by a loud snap as Rapunzel quickly clambered to her feet and ran out the door.  
  
Cass hesitated, then got up and followed her at a much slower pace.  
  
Hector and Cap glanced at each other, and Hector lit a cigarette, trying to ignore the nauseated feeling in his stomach.  
  
Even though the rain had stopped, the world outside was still very wet. Rapunzel slipped and slid in the mud as she trotted along the path, and as her hands fumbled out to avoid falling, they came into contact with branches and leaves slick with dew.  
  
These things were the least of her concern, however. It was chilly, and Varian risked getting sick if she didn't find him soon.  
  
  
"Varian!" she called, venturing further and further into the woods. "Varian! Where are you?"  
  
She slipped again, scraping her knee on a rock, but she ignored the pain. "It's okay! We just want you to be safe! I--oh!"  
  
She spotted him laying by a creek nearby, his head in his paws.  
  
"There you are!" she exclaimed, kneeling down behind him.  
  
He jumped, whirling, and bit her outstretched hand.  
  
She went rigid, trying to ignore the waves of sharp pain radiating up her arm from where his teeth were piercing her flesh. It didn't help things that he had bitten her bandaged hand, in almost the exact spot as earlier. She didn't want him to run away again, though, so with tears in her eyes she said, "Okay, if that makes you feel safer, go ahead."  
  
Varian's grip lessened a fraction, but he didn't let go. Instead, he stared up at her, blue eyes like daggers, piercing through her like a knife in the gut.  
  
Her eyes saddened. "Let's go back to the house now, okay?" she coaxed gently. "It's all right, really. I'm not angry, and I don't think Hector or the others are, either. I think everyone just wants you to be okay."  
  
He quivered but didn't move.  
  
She opened her mouth to try again when a new voice caught her by surprise. It was deep and rich, like hot chocolate, but there was a sharp and stern edge to it, almost as if someone had added mint to it.  
  
"Varian, enough of this," it said. Rapunzel glanced at the source of the voice to see a weathered-looking man with deep set brown eyes, dark brown, almost black hair, and a tired expression kneeling next to her, his gaze fixated on the wolf pup attached to her hand.  
  
"Oh, hello," she said by way of greeting. "You surprised me, I--"  
  
Whether the man didn't hear her or he had elected to ignore her, she didn't know, but in any case, he plowed on.  
  
"Let go of her hand and come home Varian," he said, his voice sounding hollow with pure exhaustion and grief. He sounded like he was at his wit's end.  
  
_This must be Quirin, Varian's father,_ she thought, watching as Varian tensed up tighter and tighter with every word the man spoke. _Hector or Cap must have called him._  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Quirin asked. "Why did you run away? Do you enjoy causing trouble for others? Do you like making me worry? Do you have any idea how scared I've been?" He ran a large hand through his hair, and Rapunzel noticed it was shaking, despite it looking like it was probably very sturdy most of the time.  
  
"I don't know how to talk to you," Quirin went on, and from the look on his face Rapunzel surmised that this was not an easy thing for him to admit. "Why didn't you tell me the other kids were bullying you? Why did you run away from home? Why don't you ever _say_ anything? I don't know what to do, Varian. I'm at the end of my rope."  
  
It began to drizzle again, but none of them moved.  
  
The memory that Rapunzel had tried to push down earlier came hurling back to her mind's eye like a comet and for a moment she was drowned in images of herself as a child crying, keeping her pain to herself, enduring alone, because if her parents ever found out...if they found out, they'd--  
  
"You know," Rapunzel interjected, catching Quirin and Varian both off guard. In the intensity of the moment and the hard feeling between them, they'd almost forgotten she was there. She decided to take advantage of her sudden position as the central focus. "It could be he just didn't know how to tell you."  
  
Presently, Cass had managed to catch up with Rapunzel, but rather than rush in and ruin the moment, she stayed hidden amongst the trees, listening carefully.  
  
"Or," Rapunzel went on, "Maybe he was worried about dissapointing you, about what you might think. Maybe he was afraid."  
  
Quirin's eyes tightened, but he said nothing. Varian, teeth still attached to her hand, began to quiver again.  
  
"Maybe he didn't want anyone to know," she continued. "He tried to hide it. He put on his bravest face, and did his best to look strong in front of everyone. But still...he knew."  
  
Cass felt Rapunzel's words cut deep, deep down to her core. Memories from a darker time in her life, when she'd been more vulnerable, began to flood her mind. She'd felt so alone then, soldering on without telling anyone how much pain she was in, how hard it became just to exist after a while...  
  
"He knew he wasn't strong," Rapunzel said. "And the more he tried to hide it, the more ashamed he felt, the more he began to hate himself, and the more he began to fear that you would hate him too, if you knew the truth, if you knew how scared he was to face the other kids.  
  
And maybe that's the reason he couldn't say anything to you, why he ran away...because the thing that he was most afraid of..."  
  
Quirin, who had been looking at the ground this entire time, slowly raised his head, and, at the same moment, Rapunzel thought she caught a flash of something in Varian's eyes. She hurried to finish her thought.  
  
"The thought that scared him the most...was that his father would reject him. He was afraid of being hated by someone he loved."  
  
There was a silence in which the drizzling rain came to an abrupt halt and the clouds parted to reveal a golden beam of light that cast rainbow prisms across the yard.  
  
And then, it happened. Just as she caught the sparkle of unshed tears in Quirin's eyes, there was a small popping sound and where previously there had been a black wolf puppy, there knelt a thin boy with an unruly mop of black hair containing a few brown streaks and one blue one, his freckled cheeks wet from the tears that were flowing freely from his bright, intelligent blue eyes. He had big, awkward hands ending in long fingers, and currently they were encasing her bitten hand, rubbing it gently as if to say "I'm so sorry." The look on his face exhibited pure relief and gratitude, as if he had been waiting a thousand years to hear her say those words. Because of the nature of his transformation, he was nude, so Rapunzel, a gentle smile on her face, removed her long coat and wrapped it around him. As soon as she did, he jutted himself into her, hugging her fiercely, still quietly sobbing.  
  
Cass felt a breath she hadn't realized she was holding escape from her lungs.  
  
Nearby, a cicada buzzed, signaling that the storm was over at last.  
  
***  
  
When Eugene got home, he noticed it felt a bit more crowded than usual. Like Rapunzel, he was also staying at Cap's house, though his reasons were a little different.  
  
"What's Hector doing here?" he asked when he saw the man sitting at the coffee table, drinking a beer and swapping stories with Cap.  
  
"Oh, he's just been worried about Varian," Cap said.  
  
"Wait, Varian's here, too? Why doesn't anyone ever tell me anything? What's he doing here anyway and not at home?"  
  
Cap sighed. "Quirin looked like he could use a break so Varian is staying here for a few days."  
  
Eugene blinked. He could tell he wasn't getting the full story and these old buzzards weren't about to divulge it because they enjoyed teasing him too much. "Yeah, yeah, forget I asked," Eugene said, rolling his shoulder. "So where is the little runt anyway?"  
  
Cap grinned. "He's glued himself to Rapunzel."  
  
Upstairs, Varian had fallen asleep with his head on Rapunzel's lap. She guessed all that tension and fear had left nothing but exhaustion in its wake.  
  
Beside her, Cass moved a strand of hair out of Varian's eyes. He didn't even stir. "Wow, he's out," Cass whispered. "Isn't he heavy?" Rapunzel shook her head. "Not really." She looked up as Hector passed the doorway. "Leaving so soon?"  
  
Hector smiled wryly. "I'm just going to pick up some mail. Varian's teacher has a message for him. We'll probably want to puke when we read it." He waved once and disappeared.  
  
Over the course of the next few days, Varian followed Rapunzel around everywhere. If she was doing laundry, he would carry the baskets. If she was cooking, he would grab supplies for her. He even waited outside the bathroom for her to finish, much to her embarrassment. She didn't complain though. She just wanted him to feel better and if this is what it took, then so be it.  
  
"Cute, isn't it?" Cap asked one day as Varian tup tup tupped along behind Rapunzel. "Just like a mother hen and her chick."  
  
"Seems kind of annoying if you ask me," Eugene griped.  
  
As they spoke, Raps stopped suddenly to grab something, causing Varian to bump into her back. He looked up at her, afraid she might be mad, when she suddenly whirled about, threw her arms around him, and shouted, "That's it, I love you!"  
  
Cap bark laughed. "Something tells me Rapunzel doesn't mind."  
  
Eugene smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, why am I not surprised? So uh...curious. What's for dinner?"  
  
"Oh, right!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "I almost forgot." Because she had a knack for it, and enjoyed doing it, and because her cooking was downright delectable, she had become the chef of the house. She turned to Varian. "What would you like for dinner?"  
  
Varian opened his mouth, wavered for a moment, then closed it, looking away. Rapunzel looked sad for a moment, then smiled for him. "That's okay. Take your time."  
  
"Oh, come on, it's not that hard. Can't you even say what you want to eat?" Eugene asked, incredulous.  
  
Cap took the liberty of wrestling Eugene to the ground and comically sitting on him.  
  
"Hey! Let me up!" Eugene protested.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, am I bothering you?" Cap teased sadistically.  
  
"What do you think?" Eugene griped, his voice rife with sarcasm.  
  
"Don't listen to dumb old Eugene, just speak when you feel like it!" Cap said, causing Varian to smile ever so faintly.  
  
Raps frowned._ But Eugene's right...in a way. It shouldn't be that hard to make a small request. I guess Varian is still keeping his words locked up deep inside._  
  
"I know! We'll let fate decide!" She hummed as she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and drew three paths, each with a different dinner item at the end, which she folded over so only the paths, not the results, were visible. "Just pick a road and see where it goes," she told Varian. Shyly, he pointed to the one on the far left. "Okay, let's see what happens," Rapunzel said cheerily, singing softly as she traced the line with her finger. When she reached the end, she unfolded the paper. "It looks like...beef stew over rice! Great pick. I'll get started right away."  
  
Secretly, this made Rapunzel extra happy, because unbeknownst to anyone but her, Quirin had called the night before asking about Varian, wondering how he was.  
  
"Make sure he's getting enough to eat," he'd told her. "He can be picky with his food sometimes. He does like beef stew over rice, though..."

***  
  
After dinner, Hector returned with a note from Varian's teacher, as promised.  
  
Wordlessly, he handed it to Varian, who read it quickly and then folded in on himself a little in response.  
  
"What does it say?" Hector asked, grabbing it so he could read it out loud. Cass, Rapunzel, Eugene, and Cap all listened in.  
  
"It really does make you wanna puke," he said after scanning it. He cleared his throat.  
  
"Dear Varian,  
  
I hope this finds you well, and I hope you are thinking of coming back to school. We all miss you very much, and I know your--" He scoffed. "--I know your classmates are eagerly awaiting your return. The rest of your teachers, and myself, are here to help you in any way that we can, and to welcome you back to the group with open arms. But more than anything Varian, it is my hope that you will soon learn to feel good about yourself. I think you will find that you have many good qualities. That's my wish for you. There's no way for somebody who dislikes themselves to be liked by others, is there?"  
  
There was a brief silence, and then Cass piped up. "I... There was a time when I stopped talking. Just like you. My reasons were a little bit different, but I think the feelings of being ashamed of myself and hating myself are the same. 'I hope you will learn to feel good about yourself,' it says. What is _that_ supposed to mean? How are you supposed to find these supposed good qualities when the whole reason you hate yourself in the first place is because you can only see the bad things about yourself? And even if you force yourself to find good things, it feels so empty. It doesn't work that way. People like your teacher just don't get it.  
  
I think...when you hear someone say they like you, for the first time, that's when you can begin to like yourself. I think when someone accepts you, for the first time, you feel like you can forgive yourself a little. You can begin to face your fears with courage."  
  
She paused. She wasn't good at this sort of thing, but she knew that if someone could have reached out when she was that age, she might not have some of the issues she did now.  
  
"Varian, we love you," she said, her throat tightening. "We love you very much. That's really all we can do. But maybe, if you know that we feel this way about you, and see these good things in you, maybe that will help you start to see them in yourself."  
  
Varian, his eyes brimming with tears, looked at Cass with the most heart-wrenching expression on his face before turning and looking at the sky, the memory of Rapunzel's warm hug combined with Cass's words lifting a weight off of his shoulders. "Yeah," he said.  
  
Hector,faster than lightning, grabbed Varian and pulled him into a tight hug. "Finally," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "It's been so long since we've heard your voice."  
  
It took another day or so, but Varian was finally able to gather enough strength to go home and reconcile with his father and also to go back to school.  
  
Before he left though, he and Hector decided to surprise Rapunzel after work at her part time job. Hearing Varian call her name had shocked and delighted her, and the two of them hugged and had a little heart to heart.  
  
The next day, as she saw him off to school, waving, she thought about how used to having him around she'd become. In all honesty watching him leave made her feel a little bit lonely. But she was also so proud of him. As he turned away, she thought about his words from the previous night.  
  
There had been so much strength emanating from one so small, and he'd looked so determined. It had been hard for her believe he was the same Varian she'd met just a few days before. He'd looked at her and said, "I can't quit now, otherwise I'll really mess everything up. I have to try, even if I can't make friends, even if they still ignore me..."  
  
She smiled and waved one last time as Varian rounded a corner and disappeared from view.  
  
_You can do this,_ she thought. _Even if you're afraid, you're still trying. And this time, I know you won't give up._  
  
"It's too bad Cass couldn't be here to see him off, too."  
  
"Yeah," Eugene said, "But she said she had something she had to take care of."  
  
At the high school, Cass took a deep breath before opening the door to the student council room.  
  
Before the president could say anything, she held up a hand to stop him. "I'm sorry for the way I've been avoiding you lately," she said. "But I'm here now, and I'm ready to accept your nomination for student council president."  
  
"Really?!" exclaimed the president, who had always been a starstruck fan of sorts of Cass. "You'd do that for me?!"  
  
"No, not for you," Cass replied bluntly, turning on her heel and striding out into the hallway, feeling lighter than she had in months.  
  
_**I'm not sure why I've decided to do this. I'm not any stronger than I was before, and nothing else has changed.**_  
  
Varian swallowed down the lump in his throat as he reached out with trembling fingers for the door handle to his homeroom class.  
  
_**But all the same... I'm not going to run away.** _  
  
The news of Cass's agreement to run for office spread like wildfire, and before long people were approaching her left and right in the hallways, overwhelming her with support, saying she had their vote.  
  
_** It's okay to feel weak sometimes. It's okay to be afraid. The important thing is that we face our fears.** _  
  
Varian closed his eyes, steeled himself against the inevitable, and thrust the door open.  
  
_**That's what makes us strong. **_  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
